Uri Avnery has long said that he believes the only thing which is keeping Israel still Democratic is the Supreme Court. Even it has little effect with things like house demolitions. I know that Israeli supporters like toomuchtime haven also argued that although this Parliament tries to interfere with democracy the Supreme Court sorts it out.

The question now being asked is could this boycott bill, be the thin edge of the wedge which leads to Israel curtailing the rights of the Supreme Court and then to a host of other laws beginning with NGO's which will see the steady decline in democracy in Israel

The onslaught on democracy has been incremental. The Boycott Bill was merely a defining moment, preceded by the Nakba and Acceptance Committee laws, and will likely be followed by the passing of a batch of laws aimed at destroying Israeli human rights organizations. These laws will be voted upon in the coming months, and, given the composition of the Israeli Knesset, it is extremely likely that all of them will pass.

Israeli legislators realize, though, that in order to quash all internal resistance, the destruction of the rights groups will not be enough. Their ultimate target is the High Court of Justice, the only institution that still has the power and authority to defend democratic practices.

I have always warned that our democracy has very shallow and tender roots, and needs our constant care. Where did the Jews who founded Israel, and who came here thereafter, grow up? Under the dictatorship of the British High Commissioner, the Russian Czar, the Dictatorship of the Proletariat, the king of Morocco, Pilsudsky&#8217;s Poland and similar regimes. Those of us who came from democratic countries like Weimar Germany or the US were a tiny minority.

-snip-

THE &#8220;BOYCOTT LAW&#8221; is a very clever piece of work. Obviously, it was not drafted by the parliamentary simpletons who introduced it, but by some very sophisticated legal minds, probably financed by the Casino barons and Evangelical crazies who support the extreme Right in Israel.

First of all, the law is disguised as a means to fight the de-legitimization of the State of Israel throughout the world. The law bans all calls for the boycott of the State of Israel, &#8220;including the areas under Israeli control&#8221;. Since there are not a dozen Israelis who call for the boycott of the state, it is clear that the real and sole purpose is to outlaw the boycott of the settlements.

-snip

AS WE point out in our application to the Supreme Court, the law is clearly unconstitutional. True, Israel has no formal constitution, but several &#8220;basic laws&#8221; are considered by the Supreme Court to function effectively as such.

First, the law clearly contravenes the basic right to freedom of expression. A call for a boycott is a legitimate political action, much as a street demonstration, a manifesto or a mass petition.

Second, the law contravenes the principle of equality. The law does not apply to any other boycott that is now being implemented in Israel: from the religious boycott of stores that sell non-kosher meat (posters calling for this cover the walls of the religious quarters in Jerusalem and elsewhere), to the recent very successful call to boycott the producers of cottage cheese because of their high price. The call of right-wing groups to boycott artists who have not served in the army will be legal, the declaration by left-wing artists that they will not appear in the settlements will be illegal.
Since these and other provisions of the law clearly violate the Basic Laws, the Legal Advisor of the Knesset, in a highly unusual step, published his opinion that the law is unconstitutional and undermines &#8220;the core of democracy&#8221;. Even the supreme governmental legal authority, the &#8220;legal advisor of the government&#8221;, has published a statement saying that the law in &#8220;on the border&#8221; of unconstitutionality. Being mortally afraid of the settlers, he added that he will defend it in court nevertheless. The opportunity for this is not far off: the Supreme Court has given him 60 days to respond to our petition.

-snip-
Looming over everything else is the explicit threat of right-wing factions to attack the hated &#8220;liberal&#8221; Supreme Court directly, shear it of its ability to overrule unconstitutional laws and control the appointment of the Supreme Court judges.

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC)-- The Israeli Knesset's Ethics Committee suspended Monday Arab MK Hanin Zoabi from all Knesset activities until the end of its annual session after Zoabi participated in last year's Freedom Flotilla, which was designed to breach Israel's siege of the Gaza Strip, Israel's Ynet has reported.

Under the decision, Zoabi will be removed from the Knesset until the end of the current Knesset session, which ends in the next two weeks, Ynet said.

The Knesset considered that her flotilla participation last year fell out of line with a Knesset member's legitimate freedom of action, as the flotilla was intended to break a naval blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip as part of the armed conflict with Hamas.

Zoabi was stripped of privileges she enjoyed as a legislator last July following her participation in the same flotilla.

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC)-- The Israeli Knesset's Ethics Committee suspended Monday Arab MK Hanin Zoabi from all Knesset activities until the end of its annual session after Zoabi participated in last year's Freedom Flotilla, which was designed to breach Israel's siege of the Gaza Strip, Israel's Ynet has reported.

Under the decision, Zoabi will be removed from the Knesset until the end of the current Knesset session, which ends in the next two weeks, Ynet said.

The Knesset considered that her flotilla participation last year fell out of line with a &#8221;Knesset member's legitimate freedom of action&#8221;, as the flotilla was &#8221;intended to break a naval blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip as part of the armed conflict with Hamas&#8221;.

Zoabi was stripped of privileges she enjoyed as a legislator last July following her participation in the same flotilla.

I could not believe it when she had her Parliamentary privileges suspended. What sort of a democracy does that?

The Knesset&#8217;s House Committee recommended today, by a vote of 7-1, to revoke Balad MK Hanin Zoabi&#8217;s Parliamentary privileges. You might recall that Zoabi was a passenger on the ill fated Gaza flotilla. Upon her return to the Knesset, she was verbally assailed by various right-wing parliamentarians and prevented from speaking. The three main privileges Zoabi stands to lose are the privilege to leave the country, the privilege of carrying a diplomatic passport and the right to have the Knesset cover her litigation fees if she is put on trial.

These and other privileges are meant to allow an MK to fulfill his or her duties without fear of undue pressure from others. These privileges are accorded to all MKs &#8211; those we agree with and those we disagree with and are meant to promote and enhance the democratic process. Whether I like it or not, Zoabi&#8217;s actions are supported by her constituents. Haaretz reported that &#8220;Likud MK Yariv Levin, who serves as chairman of the Knesset House Committee, said before the discussion that Hanin Zuabi betrayed the State of Israel and she must be put on trial.&#8221; I suggest that those that seek to diminish the democratic process are the ones betraying the foundations of the State of Israel.

Edit: I did not make that clear. Obviously the suspension would have the same validity as removing her privileges. As she was going about her Parliamentary business it would not be proper to suspend. Are others suspended for similar. I don't think that happens.

Uri Avnery has long said that he believes the only thing which is keeping Israel still Democratic is the Supreme Court. Even it has little effect with things like house demolitions. I know that Israeli supporters like toomuchtime haven also argued that although this Parliament tries to interfere with democracy the Supreme Court sorts it out.

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How are the Rabs doing in the area of democracy, hun? Not so well, even after 1400 years.

When will those ignorant camel drivers ever transition into the modern world as Israel has?

Uri Avnery has long said that he believes the only thing which is keeping Israel still Democratic is the Supreme Court. Even it has little effect with things like house demolitions. I know that Israeli supporters like toomuchtime haven also argued that although this Parliament tries to interfere with democracy the Supreme Court sorts it out.

Click to expand...

How are the Rabs doing in the area of democracy, hun? Not so well, even after 1400 years.

When will those ignorant camel drivers ever transition into the modern world as Israel has?

Click to expand...

The Palestinian government of March 2007 was the model democracy in the ME. Then the US came in and trashed it.

Uri Avnery has long said that he believes the only thing which is keeping Israel still Democratic is the Supreme Court. Even it has little effect with things like house demolitions. I know that Israeli supporters like toomuchtime haven also argued that although this Parliament tries to interfere with democracy the Supreme Court sorts it out.

Click to expand...

How are the Rabs doing in the area of democracy, hun? Not so well, even after 1400 years.

When will those ignorant camel drivers ever transition into the modern world as Israel has?

Click to expand...

The Palestinian government of March 2007 was the model democracy in the ME. Then the US came in and trashed it.

It was the threat of a good example.

Click to expand...

Haha, Jews used to be Palestinians, you fucking twit. Can't you even figure out who those pieces of shit really are?

A "Palestinian" can mean a person who is born in the geographical area known prior to 1918 as "Palestine", or a former citizen of the British Mandate territory called Palestine, or an institution related to either of these. Using this definition, both Palestinian Arabs and Palestinian Jews were called "Palestinians".
Before the establishment of the State of Israel, the meaning of the word "Palestinian" didn't discriminate on ethnic grounds, but rather referred to anything associated with the region. The local newspaper, founded in 1932 by Gershon Agron was called The Palestine Post. In 1950, its name was changed to The Jerusalem Post.

In 1923, Pinhas Rutenberg founded the Palestine Electric Company, Ltd. (later to become the Israel Electric Corporation, Ltd.) There was a [Jewish] Palestine Symphony Orchestra, and in World War II, the British assembled a Jewish Brigade to fight the Axis Powers that was known as the Palestine regiment.

Since the establishment of Israel, its citizens are called Israelis, while the term Palestinians usually refers to the Palestinian Arabs.

I'm glad Zoabi was punished. She broke the rules of the Knesset. That's what happens.

But I don't understand the OP. Israel is a democracy. The MKs were elected. They can always be kicked out next cycle.

You're confusing 'democracy' with the US Constitution. We have anti-boycott bills, here, too, and they are much harsher.

At any rate, in case you half twats weren't paying attention, Netanyahu has not ordered an oversight committee as was requested by Shas. I doubt anyone will be taken to court. Remember, this makes it so that companies can sue. It doesn't put anyone in jail or whatever.

The whole thing is politics, but you don't seem to understand Israelis at all. When they fight, they do it very very loudly. Who ever yells the loudest, wins. The law will be rejected.

Democracy is alive and well in Israel. Haven't you been reading about the tent protests, or do your Arab propaganda sites not mention that?

Stalin was "elected" also. If you kick out everyone you don't agree with and then let the rest of the people vote, that's not democracy. If you kick of people you don't like then hide behind huge concrete walls, that's not democracy either. You're all living in a dreamworld, thinking that Israel is a real democracy like the US, Canada, UK...

Stalin was "elected" also. If you kick out everyone you don't agree with and then let the rest of the people vote, that's not democracy. If you kick of people you don't like then hide behind huge concrete walls, that's not democracy either. You're all living in a dreamworld, thinking that Israel is a real democracy like the US, Canada, UK...

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If you fucking psychopathic suicide bombers stopped killing Jews, there would be no need to wall, stupid piece of shit.

We support Israel because we are Americans and we believe all Americans should support Israel. Israel is a democracy, and the only democracy in a region of totalitarian and repressive governments. Israel is a strong and loyal ally of the USA in a region where the word ally is a relative term. In Americas war against terrorism and in her stance for freedom from tyranny, she will never have a stronger more vital ally than Israel.

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